Internships

Internship Guidelines

Important information for all students interested in an internship and BIOL 3939.

the overall process

obtaining an internship can be a lengthy process and can take anywhere from 6‐12 weeks prior to the start of the internship

for some competitive internships, the process may need to begin 1‐2 semesters before the start of the internship

it is up to the student to ensure that the process is started early enough to complete all the necessary requirements and meetings to obtain an internship by the desired start date, which follow the academic semester calendar

This process will include several appointments with a variety of individuals, as well as time and effort on the behalf of the student. This process will include, but is not limited to, the following aspects…

​scheduling an appointment with an Experiential Learning Center (ELC) advisor

finding an appropriate internship

composing a current resume and cover letter

sending the resume and cover letter to all desired internship site supervisors

interviewing with the site supervisor (if selected for an interview)

completing the corresponding paperwork (with the ELC advisor, the faculty sponsor for the department of integrative biology, and the site supervisor)

fulfilling of all of the training requirements set by the ELC and/or the site supervisor

necessary appointments (in this order)

ELC advisor – the first meeting to begin the process is with an ELC advisor

This initial meeting will require a full hour to complete and should be scheduled in advance. There may also be additional appointments with an ELC advisor that may take ≥30 minutes per appointment. Training requirements set by the ELC must also be completed.

Internship site supervisor – Over the course of the internship process, the student will most likely meet with his or her site supervisor several times prior to starting the internship. The first meeting will consist of an interview in which the student will be interviewed for the position, the student must meet with the site supervisor at least one more time prior to beginning the internship to discuss in detail the duties and responsibilities of the internship experience. During this meeting, the student and site supervisor must complete the first and second page of the Learning Agreement, a document provided by the ELC that records the contact information for the student and site supervisor as well as a detailed description of the duties and responsibilities of the internship position.

Department of Integrative Biology faculty sponsor – The next meeting will require scheduling an appointment with Dr. Laurel Beck, the faculty sponsor for the department. During this meeting, Dr. Beck will discuss the details of the internship position with the student to ensure that the internship selected is biologically relevant and can be approved for credit through the department. In order to qualify for 3939, the student must have passed General Biology I and II with a C or higher and be a declared Integrative Biology major.

necessary paperwork (the Learning Agreement)

​provided by the ELC

used to record site supervisor and student contact information, provide a detailed description of the duties and responsibilities of the intern during the internship, and communicate the objectives the student hopes to find through the internship experience

must be thorough and reflect the biological experience and duties that will commence during the internship experience

this is the document that will be reviewed and, if appropriate, approved for credit through the department of Integrative Biology

For completion and approval of the Learning Agreement, the following four signatures must be obtained in the order listed:

​Site Supervisor – this signature should be obtained during the meeting in which the duties and responsibilities of the internship student have been recorded

Internship Student – this signature should be added to the learning agreement just after the site supervisor has signed the document

Department of Integrative Biology Faculty Sponsor – Dr. Beck will sign the Learning Agreement after a meeting with the student and a thorough review of the duties and responsibilities of the internship experience

ELC Advisor – Tam Barthel (or another appropriate ELC advisor) will sign the paperwork after all other signatures have been acquired and all requirements set forth by the ELC have been completed.